Eat neon sign

Where to eat on Main Street Santa Monica

It is only logical that I head over to the Main Street/Ocean Park area of Santa Monica after my exhaustive post of downtown. This section of Main Street is a sort of limbo area between downtown Santa Monica and Venice. Its stretch of mom-and-pop shops looks like a true Main Street in a smaller beach city, not populous Santa Monica. You might think the restaurants I recommend in Where to Eat in the Main Street neighborhood of Santa Monica are in Venice, like I did when I first moved here, but I am here to reorient you. 

Like my previous post, where to eat in downtown Santa Monica, the restaurants are listed in order of price, from more economical eats to splurges. The table of contents will help you if you need this handy while you are at the Sunday farmer’s market or hitting the surf shops that line Main.

I just want a good cup of coffee

Scroll to the lunch section to read about Urth Caffé.

Lunch on Main Street

For lunch on Main Street, I would like to let you know about two local chains in the area. These are perfect for a casual lunch.

Samosa House

This Indian deli is really popular with the vegetarian crowd. You have at least a dozen ready-to-eat items to choose from daily–from your classic sag paneers and dosas to curries made with jackfruit. Fans of Indian food love this place because everything is flavorful and true to its roots instead of changing for local tastes. People love Samosa House because it is an inexpensive oasis in this high-cost area.

There are many Samosa House locations on the west side of Los Angeles; some also have markets where you can buy bulk spices, teas, and other hard-to-find ingredients. 

Hours, cost, and other information

  • Website: http://www.samosahouse.com/samosa-house-santa-monica/
  • Location: 2301 Main Street
  • Cost: A two-item combo is $9 and comes with rice and yogurt. Samosa is $2 apiece. (Non-dairy options are available for all of the dairy counterparts)
  • What to eat: Cauliflower curry and chana masala

Urth Caffé

Santa Monica is a health-conscious crowd. There are many pilates, yoga studios, and juiceries in this city. It can be hard to find a casual place that appeals to both the early morning marathon trainers and/or those who like to treat themselves with carbs and butter. A great place to go if you want to give your friends a variety of healthy and not-as-healthy options is Urth Caffé.

The ambiance can be a little trendy–for those who want to be seen out and about. You can decide if that is a deal-breaker for you or not.

Also note that in a sea of coffee chains in the area, this is a great place to get coffee.

Hours, cost, and other information

  • Website: https://www.urthcaffe.com/santa-monica
  • Location: 2327 Main Street
  • Cost: Pastries are around $4, breakfast dishes are around $12, and lunch entrees are around $15.
  • What to eat: Bread pudding

Happy hour on Main Street

Lula Cocina Mexicana

table and menus at Lula

Their Hora Feliz! Is actually five hours of happy hour specials on the weekend and six hours on weekdays. This used to be a go-to when I worked closer to the beach. The margaritas are strong and can be made with any of the hundreds of tequilas they have on hand. Eat food from many different regions of Mexico, like Oaxaca and Baja as well as nachos loaded with cheddar cheese and sour cream.

The interior is bright, colorful, and filled with calavera and papel picado hanging from the rafters. It is easy to think that you walked further south from the pier than a mile.

Hours, cost, and other information

  • Website: https://lulacocinamexicana.com/
  • Location: 2720 Main Street
  • Cost: Nachos $12, enchiladas $17, chips and salsa $5
  • COVID-19 information: Open for outdoor dining. Also available for pick-up and delivery on delivery apps.

Manchego

For a while there, Los Angeles had quite a few Spanish tapas-style restaurants. They seemed to sprout up everywhere as the Los Angeles food fad of 2010. Menus filled with gambas al ajillo, pan con tomate, bacon-wrapped dates, and hearty albondigas all eaten with sangrias and Spanish wines. I loved them. I could graze on bar snacks for hours. 

Then poof, they all closed. 

Pintxos in Downtown Santa Monica was especially a hard loss for me. Their prices were so reasonable but were no match for Santa Monica’s rising rents. Manchego on Main Street seems to be the only one that has hung on, and for good reason.

At Manchego, you will find a lot of classic tapas from croquetas, tortilla, and one of the few places that serves Jamon Iberico in Los Angeles. Their happy hour is heavy with deals on food. This place feels more upscale and not as casual as tapas places in Spain. I recommend it as a place to take guests for a great happy hour and conversation. You might not feel comfortable rolling up from the beach here as a fair warning.

Hours, cost, and other information

Dinner on Main Street

Jinya Ramen

There is a whole lot of ramen in Los Angeles. It is really hard to know which ones are good. There is ramen from several prefectures in Japan, varying broth cook times of 24 to 48 hours, fatty broths, bone broths, chicken broth, pork broth, vegetarian broths, noodle thickness, and varying degrees of al dente, simple ramens, ramens that are so chock-full of toppings that there is hardly any broth. You want no broth ramen; we have that. (Mazemen) You want to drip your noodles yourself and control that brothiness; we have that too. (Tsukemen)

My recommendation is a place that constantly has good reviews from friends and a very long line every night, Jinya Ramen. Here you can really cater to lovers of nearly all the ramen above.

I have to be honest and say that my first experience with Jinya Ramen was having it delivered to my home during the pandemic. If it can travel almost 7 miles in someone’s car and still be as good as it is, that is saying something. 

Hours, cost, and other information

  • Website: https://www.jinyaramenbar.com/menu/ca/santa-monica/ramen/
  • Location: 2400 Main street
  • Cost: Around $16 for ramen, around $7.50 for small dishes, and $13 for rice dishes
  • What to eat: Tonkotsu Black, My favorite is the Jinya chicken, do not skip the crispy brussel sprouts.
  • COVID-19 INFORMATION: Website and social media do not confirm that they have reopened for outdoor seating. They are available for pick-up and several delivery apps.

Pasjoli

This “elevated French bistro,” i.e. French preparations of California ingredients, is hiding on Main Street. Its interior is a subdued nature wonderland with industrial work. I always found the bar service better and not as formal as dining in the restaurant. Like the now-closed Dialogue, my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, the beverage director/Sommelier is helpful with pairings based on someone’s individual tastes. 

The food is rich and comforting, and I have never tried anything I haven’t liked. The crabe et chou-fleur and Ragoût d’oignons Caramélisés being a favorites of mine.

This is my pick for special-occasion dining in the area. The portions are more well suited to couples than a boisterous birthday party. Prices may look more expensive, but remember that tip is already included taking the guessing game out of compensating the staff.

Hours, cost, and other information

  • Website: https://www.pasjoli.com/
  • Location: 2732 Main Street
  • Cost: $8 baguette with French butter, $40 for entrees, and $57 for a three-course meal
  • Other: This is better for small groups or couples.
  • What to eat: As well as the dished I list above the duck a la presse is a great tableside experience. They have the best basque cheesecake in town.
  • COVID-19 INFORMATION: Open for outdoor and indoor dining by reservation. They do some special occasion pick-ups like Easter brunch boxes.

I hope this gives you some good ideas for where to eat in Santa Monica along Main Street. As more good news comes, I am hopeful that we will be able to return to a more normal sense of being. One of my anti-stress activities is sharing meals with friends and laughing over a glass of wine. I am excited to get back to that.

Have other restaurant recommendations to share with readers, please leave them in the comments. I would love for the comments to become conversations.

Do you want to know when new restaurants are added to this page? Subscribe to my newsletter.



Comments (3)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Prev Post

Where to eat in Downtown Santa Monica

Next Post

Where to eat in the Bergamot Station area of Santa Monica